Chaos Likely At Major Eu Airports Due To New Entry-exit System (ees): Athens, Bucharest, And Milan To Face Disruptions

Published on September 2, 2025

A caller automated separator power strategy being introduced by nan European Union is expected to create important disruptions astatine awesome airports, particularly for UK passport holders. Starting successful 2025, nan Entry-Exit System (EES) will require each visitors from non-EU countries, including those exempt from visas, to registry their biometric accusation upon entering nan Schengen area. While nan extremity is to streamline separator security, experts pass of imaginable chaos astatine cardinal European airports, pinch Athens, Bucharest, and Milan Malpensa apt to look nan brunt of nan disruptions.

What Is nan Entry-Exit System (EES)?

The EES is an precocious IT strategy designed to automate nan registration of travelers arriving successful nan EU. This strategy will cod individual details, biometric information (such arsenic fingerprints and photographs), and recreation documents from each non-EU nationals, including those who do not require a visa for short stays successful nan Schengen zone. The EES is intended to switch nan existent manual passport stamping process, which has been criticized for being slow and ineffective successful search overstayers aliases detecting forbidden entries.

This caller strategy will besides grounds nan day and spot of introduction and exit, way nan magnitude of enactment for each visitant (with a limit of 90 days wrong 180 days), and shop nan integer records of travelers for up to 3 years. This information will beryllium accessible to separator power agents and rule enforcement agencies for information and migration monitoring.

Potential Impact connected Key Airports

The caller EES will require travelers to supply their biometric information astatine nan separator earlier passing done information checks. While nan strategy intends to amended ratio successful nan agelong run, experts propose that it whitethorn origin important delays successful nan short term, particularly astatine awesome airports. According to reports, Athens International Airport, Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport, and Milan Malpensa are astir apt to acquisition important congestion erstwhile nan strategy is first implemented.

At these airports, nan preamble of biometric verification could overwhelm existing infrastructure, causing agelong queues and delays for travelers. The superior interest is nan clip required for biometric information collection, which could slow down nan full migration process. Additionally, arsenic nan EES requires travelers to interact pinch self-service kiosks, method glitches aliases unfamiliarity pinch nan process could further lend to delays.

Airport experts pass that these disruptions could beryllium terrible capable to unit airlines to divert aliases cancel flights, peculiarly if airdrome unit cannot negociate nan measurement of incoming passengers.

How nan EES Will Change Travel to nan EU

For UK travelers, nan EES marks a important displacement successful separator introduction procedures. As nan UK is nary longer portion of nan EU, British passport holders will now beryllium required to supply fingerprints and facial photographs astatine nan separator for biometric verification. This information will beryllium collected and utilized for nan long of their sojourn to immoderate Schengen country.

Once nan biometric information is recorded, travelers will only request to supply their fingerprints and photographs upon re-entry to nan Schengen area for up to 3 years. This is expected to simplify nan process for repetition visitors. However, nan system’s implementation could origin impermanent disruptions arsenic some travelers and separator unit set to nan caller procedures.

Additional Considerations for Travelers

Travelers are advised to get astatine airports earlier than accustomed erstwhile nan strategy is implemented to let other clip for biometric verification. Moreover, travelers should beryllium alert that delays could occur, particularly during highest recreation times aliases erstwhile unfamiliarity pinch nan caller process slows down airdrome operations.

Travel manufacture experts propose that travelers should besides stay informed astir imaginable changes to formation schedules and guarantee they are alert of nan latest introduction requirements for their circumstantial destination.

The Future of Border Control successful nan EU

The rollout of nan EES is portion of nan EU’s broader effort to amended separator information and trim irregular migration. By replacing manual passport stamping pinch automated biometric verification, nan strategy is expected to supply much reliable information connected separator crossings and make it easier to place individuals who overstay their visa aliases introduction allowance.

While nan strategy whitethorn origin short-term disruptions, it is expected to streamline nan separator process successful nan agelong run. As much airports and travelers go acquainted pinch nan system, experts foretell that hold times will decrease, and nan wide process will go much efficient.

However, for now, travelers heading to awesome EU airports for illustration Athens, Milan, and Bucharest should beryllium prepared for imaginable delays and should let other clip for their journeys.

Final Thoughts

The preamble of nan Entry-Exit System represents a important alteration successful really nan European Union handles separator security. While nan strategy promises greater ratio and improved search of separator crossings, travelers should beryllium alert of nan first teething issues that are expected astatine awesome airports. As pinch immoderate awesome change, it will return clip for some travelers and separator agencies to adjust, truthful patience and mentation will beryllium cardinal for those walking to nan Schengen zone.